Antonio Ottomanelli on Public Space, Memory, and Movement in Baghdad

Antonio Ottomanelli, an architect and photographer trained at Milan Polytechnic, reflects on his research in Baghdad between 2011 and 2013, where he documented post-war reconstruction following the 9/11 attacks. He describes Baghdad as a city fragmented by security measures, with highways acting as rivers and checkpoints limiting movement. Ottomanelli's project 'Mapping Identity,' created with students from the University of Baghdad's Faculty of Fine Arts, remapped the urban territory to reclaim spatial memory and challenge restrictions. He argues that digital and material landscapes have become identical, both hindering free movement and controlling memory. His work was presented at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale's Monditalia section in 2014 under the title 'The Third Island.' The article was published in Artribune Magazine #40.